This invention relates to a beverage brewing funnel for retaining a brewing filter and a charge of brewing substance for infusion with heated water to produce a brewed beverage.
Common beverage brewing funnels employ filter retaining baskets to separate a disposable brewing filter containing a charge of brewing substance disposed therein from internal walls of a funnel shell of the beverage brewing funnel. It is important to retain the brewing filter and brewing substance spaced away from the funnel shell walls to permit the brewed beverage to drain from the brewing filter and through an aperture formed in the bottom of the funnel shell. A handle attached to the outside of the funnel permits attachment to and removal from a beverage brewing machine. As is common in a commercial setting, large quantities of brewed beverage must be produced thereby necessitating a generally large funnel.
In commercial settings the large funnels necessitate secure attachment of the handle and the basket to the funnel shell. Typically when a filter containing a spent charge of beverage brewing substance is to be disposed, the funnel is removed from the beverage brewing machine and dumped into a disposal container The dumping process typically involves rapid and forceful impact with the side of the disposal container. Since a funnel encounters substantial stress and force when a spent filter is disposed it is essential that the handle and the basket be securely fastened to the funnel shell in order to avoid losing the basket in the disposal container or disengagement of the handle from the funnel shell.
While it is necessary to provide secure attachment of the handle and the basket to the funnel shell the National Sanitation Foundation imposes requirements upon commercial food preparers which prohibits loose, potentially loose, or removable fasteners in a food area. With regard to a beverage brewing funnel the food area includes the area inside of the funnel shell. Therefore it is clear that such fasteners may not be used to attach the handle and the basket to the funnel shell.
Further, it is necessary to remove the handle and basket for periodic cleaning and sanitation. Removable fasteners permitted the handle and basket to be removed rather easily yet do not satisfy the National Sanitation Foundation requirements. These requirements are considered important for healthful and safe food preparation to prevent the accidental inclusion of undesirable materials such as fasteners in a food product which is regulated by the National Sanitation Foundation requirements.
Since it is extremely important to satisfy the National Sanitation Foundation requirements in the preparation of brewed beverages, and these requirements prohibit the use of loose fasteners in a food area, it is extremely desirable to provide a beverage brewing funnel which securely yet removably retains the handle and basket on the funnel shell.